However, before adding yogurt to your baby’s meal plan, ensure you get the green signal from your pediatrician. Read on as we tell you about the health benefits of yogurt for babies and how and when you can introduce yogurt to your baby.
When Can You Introduce Greek Yogurt To Your Baby?
Most pediatricians recommend giving Greek Yogurt to babies between the age of eight and nine months. However, generalities may or may not suit your baby and hence you should check with your pediatrician if you want to start yogurt. It is recommended to give full-fat yogurt. Low-fat versions of Greek yogurt are commonly available, but pediatricians recommend giving it to your little one only after two years.
How Is Greek Yogurt Made?
Yogurt is a fermented dairy product used worldwide for its nutritional and health benefits. It can be divided into various types depending on the method of production. Out of those several types, the most widely consumed is Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is made by heavily straining yogurt to remove liquid whey and lactose. It leaves behind a tangy and creamy product. As it loses the lactose content, it is suitable for serving babies who have lactose intolerance as well (1).
Health Benefits Of Greek Yogurt For Babies
Greek yogurt provides high-quality protein, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iodine, vitamin D, B12 and active bacterial strains, all necessary for good health (2). Greek yogurt is easier to digest as it contains lesser quantities of whey protein and lactose than regular yogurt. Apart from basic nutritional values, Greek yogurt also contains healthy bacterial strains – Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus (3). Certain brands add more strains and such yogurts are called probiotic yogurts. 100 grams of Greek yogurt (made with whole milk and no fat removed) has the following nutritional value:
Energy – 94 kcal Total fat – 4.39 g Carbohydrate – 4.75 g Sugar – 3.25 g Protein – 8.78 g Calcium – 111 mg Magnesium — 10.7 mg Phosphorus — 127 mg Potassium — 147 mg
Source: USDA (4)
Top 8 Greek Yogurt Recipes For Babies
Here are some easy and yummy recipes with Greek yogurt for your little one.
1. Peach With Greek Yogurt
You will need:
Greek yogurt Frozen peaches
How to:
2. Cherries With Greek Yogurt
You will need:
Greek yogurt Cherries
How to:
3. Strawberry With Greek Yogurt
You will need:
Greek yogurt Strawberries Oil
How to:
4. Greek Yogurt Parmesan Chicken
You will need:
Boneless chicken breasts Plain Greek yogurt Parmesan cheese Garlic paste Lemon zest Grill seasoning Salt Pepper
How to:
5. Yogurt Chicken Puree
You will need:
1 cup boiled boneless chicken 2 cups plain Greek yogurt 1 cup of water
How to:
6. Greek Yogurt Smoothie
You will need:
1 cup chopped banana 2 cups whipped Greek yogurt 1 cup of water (optional)
How to:
7. Greek Yogurt Pancake
You will need:
1 cup all-purpose flour 1tbsp sugar 1 egg 1/2 cup yogurt plain 1/8 cup vegetable oil 1tbsp vegetable oil to grease pan
How to:
8. Yogurt And Rice Puff Snack
You will need:
1-2 cups of plain rice puffs 1 cup Greek yogurt 1/2 cup mango puree
How to: While you can try all the safe recipes with Greek yogurt, you need to be careful about certain things.
Precautions To Be Taken While Giving Greek Yogurt To Babies
Greek yogurt is healthy, but serving your baby just that wouldn’t be enough. Make sure that you are serving various other foods.
Often people add honey to sweeten the yogurt, but it is not advisable for babies younger than one year. Honey contains bacteria which may result in botulism. Therefore, you must only give honey to your baby once they cross one year.
Don’t serve flavored yogurt as well since they contain sweeteners which may not be suitable for babies. Children tend to accept high sugar food quickly and may eat a lot of it, which is not good for health, especially oral health.
If there is a history of milk allergies and lactose intolerance in your family, check with a doctor before you serve them Greek yogurt.
Treat yogurt as new food when introduced and follow a 3-5 day wait rule for any possible allergic reactions. In that way, you can see how your baby’s body is reacting to the yogurt and whether the product has any adverse effects or not.
If your child develops a rash after eating yogurt, consult a pediatrician as your baby may be allergic to milk protein or to some additive in it.
If you are serving yogurt along with fruit, make sure your baby is tolerant of that fruit.
